Truth
by MaeLace
Summary: Ziva. Abby. Dinner. Secrets. Truth. Spoilers for Hiatus and Season 4Chapter Two up at last. Slight Tiva. Okay, more then slight.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N- From the season four dialouge, it seems to me that Abby has to know about Ari, wereas Tony's mentions could be mere slips of tongue. So here is my take on that. R&R**

Ziva David had been rather surprised when, upon finishing a case before 6 o'clock, Abby had invited her out for dinner. She had thought that Abby would still be anger with her after their fight during Gibbs' coma. As it turned out, she hadn't been to far off. That was exactly what Abby wanted to talk about.

* * *

In the weeks since Gibbs had left, Abby had spent quite awhile trying to understand. She understood his leaving, at least a little, but that did not mean she liked it. The next thing she had tried to understand was Ziva. Ziva, barely there for a year, and she gets him to remember? How? If Ducky and the Director couldn't do it, what could Ziva have said? And why, through Gibbs whole bout in the hospital, had she acted as though she didn't care? Try as she might, Abby could not piece together the puzzle that was Ziva on her own. So one night, when the opportunity presented itself, she asked Ziva to dinner.

* * *

Seated in one of Abby's favorite restaurants, both women quickly ordered, them sat back to await their food. 

"Ziva" Abby ventured cautiously.

"Yes?" Ziva responded

"When Gibbs was, well- how did you make him remember?" Abby stared at Ziva, trying to read her eyes, hoping she had not asked some sort of forbidden question.

* * *

Whatever Ziva had been expecting, this wasn't it. Now what? A part of her wanted to tell Abby, needed so much for someone else to know, someone who wasn't in another country. Never one to act on impulse, Ziva was trying to concoct a believable lie when she looked at Abby. The other woman sat across from her, looking so trusting, so eager to listen. At once, Ziva knew that she would be telling Abby the truth that night. 

"Ari" Ziva began in a whisper, finding that her voice was failing her.

"What?" Abby asked

"Ari" Ziva said a little louder. "I told him of Ari killing Kate, and-" She broke off, tears collecting at the corners of her eyes. "- and how I killed Ari."

* * *

Abby was stunned. Ziva had killed Ari? What was she talking about? Gibbs had killed Ari. Abby had seen the report, and more importantly, he had told her. Why would they lie? And there was something else. Ziva's tears. Ziva David, the super spy, the stone, was crying. And for who? She had never known Kate. For Ari? Abby felt the anger rise in her. 

"If you killed him, why are you crying?"

* * *

Ziva looked at Abby her eyes clouded with tears she wouldn't, couldn't wipe away. Abby was supposed to understand, it wasn't supposed to be like this. But having already started, what could she do but answer? 

"Abby" she began, her voice begging the other woman to understand "He was my brother."

* * *

Brother? Ziva had a brother? Ari was Ziva's brother?! And she had killed him, killed her own brother to save Gibbs. And all through Gibbs coma, everyone had accused her of not caring. She did care, she had proven it in a way no one else on the team ever had. She had killed for him, to save him. And this woman, of whom Abby's treatment had ranged from rude to downright malicious, she had avenged Kate. Abby slid to Ziva's side of the booth, hugging the woman as hard as she could. For the first time, Ziva returned her embrace wholeheartedly. Neither of them said a word, they simply sat there, crying in each other's arms, knowing exactly how the other felt. 


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N-** Sorry it took me so long to update. I kept loosing things, and- oh well, I hope you like it. italics are thoughts. Review please.

* * *

"Have you told the others" Abby asked, breaking the silence that had fallen between them in the way to their respective cars. Ziva at her with alarm."No! No I couldn't, it-" The woman paused to collect her thoughts. "They have to trust me, Abby. I have to know they trust me, and that I can trust them." She sighed. "I never thought that I would actually care what they thought, but-" Ziva lowered her head, falling silent once more.

"Ziva, you have to tell them, especially Tony." Abby said firmly. "You think they won't like it when you tell them? Think how they'll feel if they have to find out some other way. Tony's team leader now, he's bound to hear more." And much as it pained her to admit it, Ziva knew that Abby was right. She pondered this as she drove off into the night.

The next day dawned cold and rainy, an ill omen to be sure, but Ziva pushed those thoughts from her mind as she exited the elevator. Tony was already there, he was never late anymore. McGee had yet to appear, but then, Ziva had made a point to be early.

"Tony" She said hesitantly

"Yes, Zee-vah?" he said with a grin, looking up from the files he was going through.

"I- I need to talk to you. Alone." She finished pointedly

Raising his eyebrows, he got up and led her to the elevator, waiting for it to begin it's decent before pushing the emergency stop and turning to Ziva expectantly.

_She's leaving, isn't she? She can't learn from me, because I'm not Gibbs, and so she's leaving. Damn. When she first came I wanted nothing more. But she's not Kate, she never tried to be. And now, wit everyone still reeling from Gibbs departure. If she leaves- I can't let her. We need her. **I** need her. I need them all. She can't leave._

"Well?"

_This is it, you got him him here, now you have to say something._

"Abby says I have to tell you. I didn't want- but you're team leader now, and-"

_Damn, I'm babbling. Calm down, David. You know how to do this._

_She wasn't even going to tell me ?She would, what, go over my head to the Director? **Abby** made her tell me? Since when did anyone make Ziva do anything? Why wouldn't she tell me? Doesn't she at least respect me that much?_

"You're babbling, Officer David."

Oh, he'd noticed, had he? Well ow exactly were you supposed to start in on something like this?

"Tony, I- Ari was my brother."

Yep, this was it, she was- wait, what did she say? Ari was her brother? What did she mean? She couldn't possibly be related to that psycho. He killed Kate, shot her down. Every time I think about it I can still feel the blood hitting my face. Her brother. But that meant- Hell, what did that mean?

"Did Gibbs know?"

Did Gibbs know? DID GIBBS KNOW? I'm practically baring my soul and that's all he can ask?

"Yes, he did."

He knew? How could he let her work with us? How could he let her sit at Kate's desk when her own brother was the reason that Kat e was not sitting at it herself?

_I knew he would take this badly. He cared for Kate, I can see it in his eyes. I have to tell him the rest. Then, maybe, he will understand._

"Tony, I killed him."

She killed him? Him, who? Not Gibbs. She couldn't, wouldn't. If she was going to kill him, she would have done it a long time ago. But then who could she- Not Ari. Gibbs killed Ari. But who else could she mean?

"Who?"

_Who? Isn't it obvious? Does he have to make me say it?_

"Ari, Tony. I killed Ari."

When she finishes speaking, I hear her voice break. Now I finally look at her, at her eyes, shining with tears on the dim elevator light. She looks at me, her face begging me to say something, to not hate her. I look into those tear-filled eyes, and that is how I know what she says is true. She did kill him, her own brother. And what can I say to that? I can't imagine finding out that the person you love is a monster, a monster on need of destroying. And then to go out and put an end to them yourself- I can't imagine hat. So what can I do, except hold her in my arms?

_I hug him back, willing myself to not get lost in my tears once more. Tony understands. He doesn't hate me. So everything will be okay._


End file.
